When something goes wrong in a woman’s reproductive system, it may be necessary to surgically remove her main reproductive organs. The surgery is called a hysterectomy.
The Female Reproductive System
A woman’s reproductive organs are all located inside the pelvis or lower abdomen. This system consists of five major organs:
• Vagina – The vagina is the hollow “tube” that reaches from outside a woman’s body into the uterus. It is sometimes called the birth canal because a baby leaves its mother’s body through the vagina.
• Uterus – The uterus, also called the womb, is a pear-shaped, hollow organ with muscular walls. When a woman is not pregnant, the uterus is approximately 3 inches long and 2 inches wide. When a woman is pregnant, the uterus stretches to allow the baby to grow.
• Cervix – The cervix is the bottom part of the uterus that connects the uterus to the vagina. The cervix is normally no wider than a straw, but expands during birth.
• Ovaries – The ovaries are two oval-shaped organs that are located on either side of the uterus in the abdomen. The ovaries contain eggs that can be released each month in the middle of a woman’s menstrual cycle. The ovaries also produce hormones for the body.
• Fallopian Tubes – The fallopian tubes connect the ovaries to the uterus. Eggs that are released by the ovaries pass through the fallopian tubes to the uterus where they will grow as a baby if they are fertilized.
Types of Hysterectomy
Women may have a hysterectomy to remove cancer, or for relief of non-cancerous conditions such as fibroids. During a hysterectomy, the uterus and cervix are removed, but the fallopian tubes and ovaries are left intact. A separate surgery to remove the fallopian tubes and ovaries may be done at the same time as a hysterectomy. There are three types of hysterectomy:
• Partial hysterectomy – In cases where cancer is not present, it may be possible to remove the top part of the uterus while leaving the cervix intact. Some women prefer this option because they believe they will have better quality of life including improved sexual function following this type of surgery.
A study published in the British medical journal BJOG gave no evidence that partial hysterectomy improves quality of life. In addition, this surgery also allows the possibility of continued bleeding from fibroids, which is eliminated in a total hysterectomy.
• Simple or total hysterectomy – During this procedure, the entire uterus including the cervix is removed.
• Radical hysterectomy – During this surgery, the uterus and cervix are removed, along with the top portion of the vagina, and the tissue surrounding the uterus. This procedure is typically used in the case of cancer that may have spread past the boundaries of the uterus. Most patients having a radical hysterectomy also have a lymph node dissection to remove and test lymph nodes from the abdominal cavity, ensuring the cancer has not spread to that area.
Your doctor will recommend which type of hysterectomy is most appropriate for your situation. There are several surgical methods used to perform a hysterectomy.
• Abdominal surgery – During this procedure the surgeon will make an incision in the abdomen, allowing direct access to the organs as surgery is performed.
• Vaginal surgery – Using this method, the surgeon makes an incision in the vagina (birth canal) and reaches through that opening to remove the uterus and cervix. A laparoscopic camera may be used to aid in this procedure.
• Laparoscopic surgery – In this type of surgery, the surgeon makes several small incisions to insert tiny cameras and instruments into the abdomen to perform the surgery. This procedure will be further explained in a subsequent article.
Regardless of the method used, hysterectomy is a major surgery that will require time to recover. Most patients having an abdominal surgery need to stay in the hospital for 3 to 5 days. For vaginal surgery or laparoscopy, the hospital stay is usually shorter. Complete recovery takes 4 to 6 weeks.
After healing from a hysterectomy, a woman will be able to have normal sexual intercourse. However, she will not be able to get pregnant or have a baby.
Sources:
American Cancer Society
The Health Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages
TeensHealth
Medline Plus: Well-being similar after total or partial hysterectomy